Four hours after Jack and Amelia came back to the temple, Jacob was seated in a large library with five scriptures in front of him.
The study was a large circular room with two large round tables big enough to hold ten people each. The shelves that were filled with books went around the entire room covering the walls.
They were at least six feet tall, and above three of them was a window.
Jacob was the only one here as Jack was busy being looked at by the bishop who wanted to check on his recovery. Amelia and Leah were still with Amelia's mother, giving her some comfort.
Time evaded his mind as his eyes were glued on the various papers. Some were techniques that dived deep into meditation and how Mother Nessa would become one with you. Others were spells, all tier one except for one which was tier two.
He spent two hours reading all five of them, but it was only now he felt that he understood the last piece.
Frankly, he felt stupid.
Also, ashamed of himself as a game developer.
What he was missing was pretty simple, belief!
Jacob needed to believe that his connection to the Holy Mother was strong, that the spell he wanted to cast would do what he envisioned.
Mages and Priest differ in the way they do spells, he found that out a few moments ago. In Pathfinder, you could not see the difference and the two were basically the same.
However, after reading the scripture that dived deep into meditation; it spoke of how only those who believed in Mother Nessa would be able to save not only their soul but the souls of others. There was even a verse that damned mages, calling them the harbingers of chaos and destruction.
Magics use the elements to harm their foes, they need heavy concentration but also imagination. Without them picturing the spell, it would never work.
Priests were similar, but they did not need heavy concentration. They needed a bit of focus, but not a ton. As long as they had faith, then things would turn out all right. Imagining a spell in your head was something in common for both mage and priest. That was because it worked as an outline, or sketch.
Without it one could chant the words for a fireball, but end up with a seed of fire that dealt low damage. That, or the spell would fail completely.
Jacob's faith was being tested in a way he did not know.
Sure, he had the trait for her blessing but he was never a religious person.
To him, he compared this world to Pathfinder a lot but every time he did he would notice slight differences.
He had to stop picturing the two as the same and start using Pathfinder as only a guideline while realizing there would be changes.
But, how could he know the requirements for spells before he obtained the class? He could only use his base knowledge and assume it was the same. Yet, it was different.
If only he knew, he would have become something different instead.
Believing that there is a being who watches over us, someone who created humans and gave them each a time to live…
Jacob could not do that. Live in the moment, prepare for the future. That was his way of living life.
Not once has he thought, 'I was meant to do this', or 'God has created all of us for a specific reason'.
The matters of life and death never bothered him. You live, you live, and if you die, then you are dead. It might be a terrible way to think, but that was Jacob. Either you loved him or not.
He could only sigh while rubbing his temples.
What was he going to do?
Looking up, there was a small statue of Mother Nessa. It was different from the one he has seen before. Instead of her holding her sword, this version was praying on her knees.
Who was this almighty figure praying to?
This was something no one knew, and even Jacob, as a developer did not know. He was not on the team that created this god-like figure, but he knew a bit about her.
Locking eyes with the small statue, an idea passed through his head.
It was worth a shot, and the worst thing that could happen was… nothing. He would just waste time.
Getting up, he approached the statue at the other table.
Taking a pose similar to it, he closed his eyes.
What was prayer? Why do people do it?
Those were two questions that popped into his head at this moment. It was an old question the younger him often asked when he saw his parents praying.
It was not like you would get an answer back. If anything, it seemed to be more of a way to vent your frustrations or desires out without anyone knowing.
He tried to keep his mind blank while expressing his thanks to Mother Nessa for giving him this body, this chance to cause a change.
Then Jacob found himself thinking back to his fiancee and wishing she was here with him. They did not have a child, but he found himself longing one.
Minutes went by while he kneeled in that position.
Finishing his prayer off with an Amen, Jacob saw it, but only for a moment. May not have even been a second. A pair of lips that were parted as if they were about to speak.
In his mind, he realized he saw a pair of lips in a similar fashion a few days ago when the bishop tested him.
Although no words came from those lips he had a glimpse at, Jacob heard something.
It was a sweet soft voice that spoke into his ear giving him a shiver. Yet, he recalled each word and was not scared by the voice.
'What you seek is closer than you think.'
Confusion was spread all over his face as he had no clue what those words meant.
He was not religious, but after this incident, Jacob felt a strange emotion emerge in his heart.
His right hand touched his chest, right above where his heart was located. The beat was rhythmic and Jacob's eyes watered.
He was sad, but he was unsure as to why.
Six years, that is how long it's been since he last shed a tear due to his emotions.
Memories appeared in his head one after another, each one leaving an imprint of his heart.
Tossed away by his father, bullied by the children, and finding comfort in the old. Hank, Andrew, Dave… he could recall names and faces of people he did not know before.
Each one of them had smiles on their faces, but each of them had the same thing in common. Homeless and struggling to survive.
Without even knowing it, Jacob chanted the words to the tier one spell heal.
His hand was radiating white light, but his body was feeling better. This feeling lasted for five seconds, then the light dimmed.
'Where am I?'
A panicked voice shouted inside his head, which shocked Jacob greatly.